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All posts by RWZ - 277. page

CCTV and CNTV Combining Web Sites

China Central Television is merging its web site CCTV.com with China Network Television’s CNTV.CN. The new website will point to CNTV.CN. All CCTV video content was copied to CNTV since it was founded last year. Now Network TV has online channels for news, the economy, sports, entertainment, movies, TV series, and documentaries. Network TV will include all CCTV videos plus various other content sources such as province-level satellite TVs and international programming. The new web site strategy is centered on “interactive audio visual media” and will provide a “public web video service platform.” Although CNTV is considered “national class,” its management team admits that the network is still behind the private sector.

Source: Netease, May 5, 2010
http://media.163.com/10/0505/10/65TNH2RS00763N4O.html

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Xiong Guangkai: Chinese Military Should Have ‘Grand Security Vision’

China News Agency recently reported that Xiong Guangkai, former General and Army Deputy Chief of the General Staff, commented on China’s security situation. Xiong believes the overall positive security status remains unchanged, but the nation still faces many risks that require the army to remain alert. The “Grand Security Vision” is needed.

Xiong summarized three areas of “traditional risks”: (1) regional wars happen frequently; (2) international military competition intensifies around a core of new age military reforms; (3) nuclear proliferation and control are very much alive. However the Grand Security Vision includes six non-traditional risks: (1) the international financial crisis changes the development model; (2) anti-terrorism needs more attention; (3) information security stands out as a crucial risk; (4) energy safety is becoming a challenge; (5) food supply reliability is increasingly problematic; (6) climate change and public health issues are on the rise.

Source: China News Agency, April 29, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2010/04-29/2253225.shtml

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Xinhua Authorized to Announce the State Secrets Law

On April 29, The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Guarding State Secrets. This law has six articles and fifty three clauses. State secrets are divided into three classes of Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential, with an expiration time of no more than thirty years, twenty years, and ten years, respectively. The law will take effect starting October 1, 2010.

(Chinascope Notes: Many believe there is a high probability that government officials will use this law to restrict human rights.)

Source: Xinhua, April 29, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-04/29/c_1264598.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Minister of Culture: Culture Industry Growing Rapidly, Lacking Leading Enterprises

Cai Wu, China’s Minister of Culture, recently delivered a report to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on the development of the culture industry. He admitted that there are several fronts where the industry is facing challenges: (1) the culture industry is does not have a large enough scale and the development level is not high; (2) the industry lacks leading enterprises and well-known brands; (3) the culture trade deficit remains high; (4) blind investments do exist. He believes that, to improve the situation, increased government investment and support from the financial industry are necessary.

Source: Renmin, April 29, 2010
http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/87423/11482720.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Beijing News: High Ranking US Officials Took Training on ‘China Model’

Beijing News reported on April 24 that around 20 “bureau chief level” US officials from the Federal Executive Institute recently completed a week-long training session at Tsinghua University on topics such as Chinese political, economic and military management and decision making. Most of the US officials are from the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. The teachers are Chinese government acknowledged experts specializing in various fields. It took China two years to settle on the course contents with the US side. One Chinese expert believes that the training may soften the atmosphere during the tough times of the China-US relationship.

Source: Beijing News, April 24, 2010
http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2010-04/24/content_92210.htm?div=-1

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

International Herald Leader: US Labeling Other Countries Again

The International Herald Leader, under Xinhua, recently published an article discussing the fact that Foreign Policy Magazine is now grouping Venezuela, Iran and Russia into a new acronym, “VIRUS.” Foreign Policy believes these countries are a threat to the U.S. and the entire order of the West.

The author of the International Herald Leader article suggested that the U.S. is fond of labeling other countries, such as the “Axis of Evil” label that the earlier administration came up with. However the author thought the U.S. is only pretending to have moral superiority because the label “Totalitarian Dictatorship” does not apply to Saudi Arabia and “Democratic Bridgehead” won’t apply to democratically elected Hamas. The article concluded that the labels may reflect U.S. policy directions, and that some of them are worth monitoring.

Source: Xinhua, April 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-04/22/content_13402389.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Xinhua: Bridging Financial Institutions and Culture Enterprises

Xinhua recently reported that nine government units, namely Peoples’ Bank of China, the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Culture, the State General Administration for Radio, Film & Television, the State Administration of Press & Publications, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the China Securities & Futures Commission, and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, jointly released a guidline on financial industry support of the culture industry. The report called for successful implementation of the guidline in three areas: (1) widely publicizing the policies; (2) establishing a smooth bridge between financial and culture industries; (3) carefully performing groundwork.

Source: Xinhua, April 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/video/2010-04/22/content_13402020.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Chinese Capital Needd a Better Looking Face

The International Herald Leader, under Xinhua, published an article suggesting that a better looking face is needed for Chinese capital going abroad. The article identified the Chinese economy’s rapid growth as the primary reason for Chinese to invest in the outside world. However, a negative image of Chinese investments is being built in some countries because: (1) the competitors are spreading negative views; (2) Chinese investors are not acting properly; (3) the industries receiving investments are tough; (4) some western countries spread slander.

The author believes Chinese capital must have a better image. It relies on the self-discipline of Chinese investors as well as media reports. Unfortunately western media have a monopoly and they are often the origin of false accusations.

Source: Xinhua, April 15, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-04/15/content_13358462.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources